India: cinemas 1921-1927
In 1927 a committee was formed to investigate the cinema industry in India and to make recommendations. The report contained a statistical section from which these tables are derived.

Cinemas by province 1921-1927

		reported during enquiry							1927	distribution list
province	population	1921	1922	1923	1924	1925	1926	1927	prior*	permanent	seasonal
Bombay	19.35m	54	52	53	54	75	75	76	83	77	..
Bengal	46.70m	14	14	14	15	22	24	30	31	26	3
Madras	42.32m	14	15	17	22	34	36	40	50	43	3
United Provinces	45.38m	11	18	23	33	33	38	39	45	28	11
Punjab	20.69m	14	24	21	21	29	32	35	28	22	14
Central Provinces/Berar	13.91m	2	4	6	11	17	18	18	23	15	..
Bihar/Orissa	34.00m	1	2	3	3	6	8	12	12	13	..
Assam	7.61m	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	6	3	..
North-West Frontier	2.25m	4	4	5	6	7	7	10	8	10	1
Delhi	0.49m	6	6	5	5	4	4	4	4	3	3
Burma	13.21m	27	31	40	48	57	64	80	60	58	2
total		148	171	188	219	286	309	346	350	298	37
In Cantonments not included in the above provinces									..	11	..
total									..	309	..

*prior: number of cinemas reported in 1927 by provincial governments prior to the enquiry

Explanation.—Three versions of the 1927 figures are given above. Of these the figures taken from the Distribution List (printed in Volume IV of the Evidence) are probably the most nearly correct. Apart from permanent cinemas which are open all the year round there are also 'seasonal' cinemas (generally in hill stations) which are open for part of the year only, and a number of halls where oinemn exhibitions are occasionally given. It is possible that some of the last class may have been included in the earlier figures, There are also about 12 privately owned regimental cinemas which are not included in the above figures. The Distribution List is a list of the cinemas in India, showing the seating accommodation and other particulars, compiled from information collected by the Provincial Governments at the request of the Committee.

Travelling cinemas by province 1921-1927

	number	licences issued for travelling cinemas
province	1927	1921	1922	1923	1924	1925	1926	1927
Bombay	5	..	4	2	4	4	15	19
Bengal	36	..	11	7	20	58	71	152
Madras	26	13	23	26	23	31	47	63
United Provinces	4	2	3	8	9	17	18	34
Punjab	20	19	19	39	37	33	34	39
Central Provinces/Berar	9	..	2	8	6	12	16	21
Bihar/Orissa	6	1	..	..	2	3	6	18
Assam	5	2	1	2	3	2	5	8
North-West Frontier	—	..	..	..	..	..	..	..
Delhi	—	..	..	..	..	..	..	..
Burma	5	..	..	..	..	..	..	..
total	116	37	63	92	104	160	212	367

Explanation.—The above [annual] figures were furnished bv the Provincial Governments and relate to the exhibition-licence which (in accordance with section 3 of the Cinematograph Act) must be obtained at each place where an exhibition is given by a travelling cinema. The figure of tbe licences issued in Burma prior to 1927 is not available. No information regarding the number of licences issued in the North- West Frontier Province and Delhi was obtainable. It was reported, however, that there were no travelling cinemas in those two Provinces.

India: cinemas showing Indian and imported films 1927

	number of cinemas that show
province	imported only	Indian only	both
Bombay	19	4	53
Bengal	11	..	13
Madras	..	..	32
United Provinces	6	..	16
Punjab	9	..	13
Central Provinces/Berar	1	..	13
Bihar/Orissa	4	..	7
Assam	2	..	1
North-West Frontier	4	..	3
Delhi	..	..	2
Burma	8	8 Burmese 3 Indian	39
total	64	15	192
all cinemas	..	11	..
total		271

Explanation.—Out of 271 cinemas regarding which particulars were available, 64 have been reported as exhibiting imported films exclusively- There is no doubt that the correct figure is larger. Of the total of 309 cinemas 66 are in cantonments. There are several cinemas in each of the big cities which are devoted exclusively to imported films, Taking also into account hill stations and cinemas in certain European institutes and clubs the number which show imported films exclusively can scarcely be less than 100

Source: Report of the Indian Cinematograph Committee 1927-28 [0083]

Cinema statistics index